RFL/RE – Iranian President Hassan Rohani has named two women as vice presidents, a day after proposing a government that included no women in cabinet positions.  Rohani’s presidential website announced August 9 that he appointed Masumeh Ebtekar as vice president for women and family affairs and Laaya Joneidi as vice president for legal affairs.

CHRI – Members of Iran’s music industry are urging President Hassan Rouhani to follow through on his 2017 election campaign promise to uphold citizens’ rights by preventing the cancellation of state-sanctioned concerts. The most recent appeal was issued to the president in a letter signed by members of the House of Music, an independent association of musicians based in Tehran, on August 2, 2017 …

RFL/RE The U.S. Navy says an Iranian drone flew within 30 meters of one of its jets on August 8 as the U.S. aircraft was trying to land on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf.

PayvandNews – Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has submitted the list of his nominees for ministerial posts to the Parliament (Majlis). The list, which was presented to the legislature on Tuesday, includes the proposed picks to head 17 out of 18 ministries.

Al-Arabia – The commander of the Air Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Brigadier General Ali Hajizadeh, said that the United States wants to apply the Libyan model in Iran in response to reports about the United States pressuring the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect suspicious military sites in Iran. According to Fares news agency, Haji Zadeh said in a …

RFL/RE – Iran says it has arrested 27 militants linked to the extremist Sunni group Islamic State (IS) who were planning attacks in the country. The Intelligence Ministry said on August 7 that the militants were identified during an exchange of intelligence with another country in the region. It did not name the other country or mention when the militants were …

Iran Human Rights  -A prisoner was hanged in public while a crowd of people watched. A prisoner was reportedly hanged in public in front of a crowd of people in Farrokhshahr. According to a report by the state-run news agency IRIB, the prisoner, identified as A.R., 30 years of age, was executed on rape charges.

Iran Human Rights -A man in Isfahan Central Prison is in imminent danger of execution for drug related charges. A prisoner on death row for drug related charges was reportedly taken to solitary confinement in preparation for his execution. According to close sources, the transfer occurred at Isfahan Central Priosn on the morning of Saturday August 5. The prisoner has …

AL-monitor – Iran and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have become entangled in a war of words as the referendum on Iraqi Kurdistan’s independence nears. Both sides are now making veiled threats, which — if they materialize — could have serious consequences on stability in the region. AUTHOR Fazel Hawramy The Iranians, whether under the shah or the Islamic Republic, have worked hand in glove …

BBC – Members of the Iranian parliament have found themselves under fire for “strange” behaviour involving the EU’s top diplomat, Federica Mogherini. She was in Iran for President Hassan Rouhani’s inauguration on Saturday when she found herself the centre of attention on the parliament floor. Photos showed Ms Mogherini surrounded by a number of male MPs, taking photos. Many social media …